NSW govt plan to tackle asbestos

A plan to prevent more people from being exposed to asbestos has been unveiled by the NSW government in a bid to curb the growing death toll.

Asbestos-related diseases claimed the lives of 201 people across the state in 2011 and this number is expected to rise each year until at least 2018.

"Tragically, the number of people with asbestos-related diseases may increase in the next few years, as there is often a delay of up to 40 years between exposure and the onset of disease," NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce said on Wednesday.

The fatalities are a result of people in the past engaging in unsafe practices when working with asbestos, which was used in the manufacture of building and insulation materials.

Mr Pearce said it aimed to reduce the incidence of asbestos-related diseases by ensuring its safe management and increasing awareness of the dangers associated with the cancer-causing substance.

"Tackling asbestos disease rates will be challenging but this plan will help ensure current practices for working with and managing asbestos reduce the risk of asbestos-related disease," he said in a statement.

The plan was developed by the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Authorities (HACA) in consultation with government agencies, local councils, industry and worker representatives and disease research groups.

Mr Pearce said the HACA was established in response to the NSW Ombudsman recommendations for significant asbestos reform in NSW.

"This plan is another example of the NSW government's commitment to reducing asbestos-related diseases and we will continue to work with federal bodies to properly manage asbestos," he said.